that's why fireflies flash
by leonettetyrell
Summary: She wants to hold his wrist and feel the life in his veins. Tori and Robbie.


Let's make something clear here. Tori Vega did not intend to fall in love with Robbie Shapiro.  
>No one ever intends to fall in love with Robbie Shapiro.<p>

But sometimes things happen that are outside of our control. And when they do, it's best to just go with it, right?

(&)

Somewhere along the line, between crushing his blog and singing lines to his puppet, Tori realized that she wanted to hold Robbie's wrist.

She finds it strange, now that she muses on it all these years later.  
>She didn't desire a kiss, or to run her hands through his hair, or even holding his hand. No.<br>She wanted to hold his wrist and feel where his life ran through his veins.

It's almost poetic if you can overlook the strangeness of it all.  
>Tori Vega belongs with glitter and hope, not with nerds who carry around puppets and are sure to fail in the real world.<p>

(&)

Thinking back, she realizes how hurt she was when Robbie posted that video of her popping a pimple.  
>But at the same time, she was so excited that he noticed her even when watching Sinjin talk about his creepy teeth collection.<p>

But she had to act in the interest of the group; that's what good girls do.  
>But secretly, she liked that she was being spied on at Robbie's command.<br>Like the song says, he makes those good girls go bad.

Or, in Tori's case, it gives her a bad, but thrilling, chill down her spine.

(&)

Tori feels super bad when she destroys Rex.  
>Not only because she's ripped out Robbie's heartstrings (if only temporarily), but she knows that she's on the fast track to ruining her chances with him.<p>

But then she remembers that he's Robbie Shapiro, and he'll do anything for a date. And it's not so bad after all.

Once he arrives at the hospital, and they sing to Rex together, Tori knows, and no longer hopes, that someday, somehow, she and this boy are going to fall in love.

(&)

They fall in love. After he dresses up like Ryder, it's kind of hard not to openly like him anymore.  
>She gets that thrill down her spine again when she finds out he's been hiding in the bushes.<p>

She gets to grab his wrist, and she can feel more life in those veins than she's ever felt before.  
>It's strange, but in that same vein of life, she swears she could feel his pure, unadulterated fear.<p>

(&)

He takes her to Maestro's and is a perfect gentleman.  
>He doesn't order six hundred dollars of caviar this time (thank God or Yahweh or whoever is up there), but Tori knows nonetheless that he must have been saving up for this meal for weeks.<p>

She feels special. Really, truly special. And when Robbie looks at her, she can tell that the feeling is mutual.

(&)

They start loafing around her house a lot. Her parents leave the room when they see he's over.  
>They still can't stand him after he ruined their anniversary, and it hurts Tori that they can't even pretend to care about her boyfriend.<p>

She pretends, however, that everything's okay, because she's the girlfriend and things are supposed to be just peachy, right?

(&)

Rumors start flying around Hollywood Arts that Tori is just using Robbie because of his family's money.

Tori knows that this isn't true, but it still hits her like a ton of bricks when Robbie asks her if the rumors are true.  
>She just kisses him in the hallway and tells him it's not true.<p>

(&)

Six months after they start dating, Robbie beats around the bush.  
>"So Tori, what do you think about couples…um…sleeping together?"<br>She spits out her drink.

"Robbie, are you trying to ask me if I'd be ok with us having sex?"  
>He turns beet red and mumbles: "Yes".<br>"Then say it!"

"I want to have sex with you. Actually, wait. Let me rephrase. I want to make love to you."  
>"Your first option was much more candid. And truthful. Don't try to be poetic. I want you to be open and honest."<p>

"So…next Friday night, then?"  
>"Only if you bring chocolate and condoms."<br>"It's a deal."

(&)

So they have sex. It's only that one night, but it's beautiful and awkward at the same time- isn't everyone's first time?

When it's over, Robbie kisses her and rolls over in her bed and whispers the words she'd thought she'd never hear:  
>"I love you."<br>And she just whispers back:  
>"I love you, too".<p>

(&)

About three weeks after…well,_ it_, Robbie's at Tori's house again. He says to her:  
>"You know people don't think we'll last, right Tori?"<br>And she doesn't respond.

(&)

She's the one who ends it, on a Sunday afternoon. Of course she is, because Robbie would never leave her.

The day after, he brings Rex back to school. She hadn't seen Rex in the seven months they'd been dating.  
>Rex just gives her mean glares, and Tori does her best to avoid the situation for that day. She can't run forever, though, and when André asks her what happened, she just responds with:<br>"I panicked, ok? I realized that I wasn't ready for the kind of relationship he wanted…too late, though. I didn't want to hurt him worse than I already have!"  
>And she leaves the table and curls up in a ball in the janitor's office and cries.<p>

(&)

"Robbie…please stop avoiding me. We can still be friends, right?"  
>"Sure, Tori. Friends tell each other when they're feeling down, or, you know, when they're having relationship problems! And obviously you had no trouble telling me that!"<br>"Robbie, I'm sorry. I…I…"  
>"Cat asked me to the prom."<br>"Oh…"

She clears her throat and holds back tears.  
>"Have fun! I guess I'll go with André then."<p>

(&)

Tori hates how cute Robbie and Cat look together at prom.  
>Cat fits in his arms like Tori used to, only Tori swears Cat fits even better if that's at all possible.<p>

André treats her right that night; he opens doors and gets her punch (and doesn't spike it).  
>At the end of the night, she lets him kiss her. She thinks she could live with it for the rest of her life, but she knows deep down that this isn't her ideal gentleman.<p>

(&)

Tori and André start dating officially two weeks after prom. So do Cat and Robbie.  
>Tori tries her hardest to be happy, she really does. André's incredibly sweet to her and writes songs for her, not just about her.<p>

Tori wants to be the Monkey Woman, though.  
>She regrets breaking up with Robbie, but it's too late.<br>He won't come strolling up on a horse strumming on his guitar; they won't ride off together into the sunset.

So she gives André ten million chances, and she almost falls completely in love with him.  
>But she knows it's not enough.<p>

(&)

In their senior year of college, while Jade and Beck are off screwing each other in a dorm room, Cat and Robbie go out on a double date with Tori and André. They all went to UCLA; of course they did. They're still amazing and talented and they are born to be superstars. Well, maybe not Cat and Robbie, but Tori still wants to vomit when she sees them together and how happy they are.

Tori notices something different about Cat. Is that…it is.  
>There's a diamond on her fourth finger; left hand of course.<br>Tori runs to the bathroom and vomits, and then comes back and congratulates the happy couple.

Her not so perfect night ends when André gets down on one knee and asks her to marry him.  
>She squeals like the good girl she is and says yes over and over again.<br>Cat and Robbie and the rest of the whole damn restaurant clap for them.

She doesn't look Robbie in the eye for the rest of the night.

(&)

So Tori's the maid of honor at Cat's wedding and vice versa and everything's ok.

Tori and André become a famous singing duet and have three kids and a gigantic mansion and a perfect nanny.  
>Cat becomes a singer for children, and Robbie goes into writing. They have two kids and live in Tori's parents house, ironically.<p>

Tori closes her eyes sometimes at night and pretends André's perfect for her and that Robbie was just another boyfriend.

Because this is how it's supposed to be, right? Right?

**Fin.**

**A/N: **I think I can say I'll write almost anything now. Tori/Robbie? From me? Yes, this is proof that I will write almost any couple now. I was browsing YouTube and watched a Tori/Robbie video and was inspired to write for these two. They're kind of cute if you can look past Robbie's stalker-ness.

Review and let me know what you thought!


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